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CHAPTER 6 439B14–440A15 439b14 Accordingly, what causes light in the air may be present in the transparent . But it may also not be present in it; instead, its privation may be. Thus, just as in that case the one is light and the other darkness, so white and black are caused in bodies. 439b18 But we must speak about the other colors, dividing the number of ways they might come to be. It can happen that, if white and black are placed beside one another, each of them invisible because of their smallness, what is made up of both thus becomes visible. It is seen neither as white nor as black. But because it necessarily has some color, and neither of these is possible, it necessarily is mixed, and is another species of color. Thus one can admit of more colors than white and black. 439b27 But many are in a proportion, for they can be put together in the proportion of three to two, and of three to four, and according to other numbers. But some are together in no proportion at all, but in an incommensurable more and less. 439b30 So it must be the same as in harmonies: the most well-proportioned colors are those based on numbers, as in the case of harmonies, and these seem to be the most pleasant of colors, for instance scarlet and purple. But such are few, due to the same cause harmonies are also few. And the other colors are those not based on numbers. 440a3 Or, all colors are ordered on the basis of numbers, but some are disordered when they are not pure, and they become such because they are not based on number. This is one way for the generation of colors. 440a7 Another one is that they appear through one another, in the way that painters sometimes place one color over another, more manifest one, as they do when they wish to make something appear to be in water or in air. And in this way the sun of itself appears white, but through fog and smoke it appears purple. 440a12 And there will also be many colors in the same way as described above: there will be a proportion of those on the surface to those in the depth; but some are not in any proportion at all. 61 Commentary 439b14 After the Philosopher has shown what color is, here he proceeds to distinguish the species of colors. First with respect to extreme colors; second with respect to intermediate colors, where he says But we must speak about the other colors (439b18). Now the differences by which species are distinguished should divide a genus per se, not accidentally, as is clear in Metaphysics VII.1 Therefore, he concludes to the variety of species of color from the very nature of color, which he explained through the definition given above. It is established from the foregoing that the subject of color is the transparent at its limit in limited bodies. But the proper actuality of the transparent as such is light, the presence of which in the unlimited transparent, for instance air, causes light, but the absence of which causes darkness. Therefore, what causes light in the air may be present on the limit of the transparent belonging to limited bodies, where it will cause the color white; and the color black will be caused by its absence. This is not to be understood as if there were no light in the color black, for thus black would not be contrary to white, since it would not participate in the same nature; rather, it would be a pure privation, like darkness. Black is said to be caused by absence of light because it of all colors has the least light, as white has the most; for contraries are things that stand farthest apart in the same genus, as is said in Metaphysics X.2 439b18 Then, when he says But we must speak about the other colors, he proceeds to distinguish intermediate colors. This is divided into two parts. In the first he presents certain ways for the generation and distinction of intermediate colors not according to their existence, but according to their appearance. Second he gives the true generation of intermediate colors according to their nature, where he says But there is mixture of bodies not only (Chapter 7, 440a31). On the first point he does two things. First he presents two ways for...

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